Caroline Ward, a full six inches taller than her husband, got in touch with Home Truths after Michael Calwell related his experience of 'heightism'...

I listened with interest to the feature by Michael Calwell about 'heightism' and wanted to expand on his thoughts to include women such as myself who are married to men who are significantly shorter than their wives.

I have been married to Richard for 21 years and although he is a truly wonderful husband and my best friend (most of the time!!)I still am very aware of the fact that he is about 6 inches shorter than me, not helped by an arthritic condition (ankylosing spondylisis) and two hip replacements that have caused him to lose height over the years!

Most of the time I don't even think about it but if we are invited out to a social function amongst people we don't know and then I am convinced that everyone is staring at us as we walk in saying 'oh look at that odd couple over there!'- and as for dancing - well apart from the fact that Richard has no sense of anything that resembles anything like musical rhythm ( he tends to sway from side to side as if he needs to go to the toilet) I know that it would look ridiculous with Richards face buried in my ample bosom! I am sure that we have been and remain the butt of many a joke, in fact I have been known to invite ridicule by saying to people that Richard was 6'3" when I first knew him and I am gradually wearing him down!

I think my biggest disappointment was last year when one of our beautiful little twin girls started school and the classroom assistant told me that she was very amused when my little girl was asked to place the teddy bears in family groups, she insisted that the biggest teddy was the mummy and would not be persuaded otherwise - of course I should have said why were they trying enforce stereotypical images on my children - but of course I didn't I just laughed with her.

I would be interested in hearing from other women in this minority group - do they feel the same? Perhaps we could set up a support group - maybe call it Tall Heavenly Wives
Anonymous Club - or just THWAC's for short.